Pneumatic cushion for vehicles.



. L.R.G11Uss.

Patented F51. 28, A1911.'

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' PNBUMATIG CUSHION FOR VEHIULS.

APPLICATION PILEDJUHE 20. 1910.

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inviarli ria LUCIEN R. GRUSS, OF CHICO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOIR TO TH 'PNEUMATIC CUSHION contrarier, rnc., or' PHOENIX, ARIZONA TERRITORY, .a conronarron or liaisons TERRITORY.

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PNEUMATIC CUSHION FOR VEHICLES.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

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-Application` tiledv .lune 20, 1910. Serial No. 5.673789.

To all 'whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that l, Lucien R. Gauss, a

citizen ot' the United States, residing at Chico, in the county of Butte and State ot California, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Pneumatic Cushions for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

lvly invention relates to vehicles, and particularly to resilient supports for the same.

The object, ot' my invention is to providea pneumatic cushion for the bodies of automo# biles and other vehicles vdesigned to do away with the ordinary metal springs, and thereby to reduce the more or less abrupt-v1brations ot the vehicle body as the machinel Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a` vehicle showingr the device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of a cylinder.

ln the present embodiment of my invention, l have shown interposed between the vehicle body A. and axle B ot the vehicle,v

suitable cylinders 2, Within which are slidable pistons 3, connected by universal joints 4 and links 5 to the vehicle body A. The. lower portion ot eacheylinder 2 is seated in a suitable saddle or yoke 6, secured crosswise et the axles 'Il in such fashion that the cylinders 2 and their pistons and connections with the body yieldiugly support the body similarly to the ordinary elliptic springs` lln order to sustain the load of the vehicle on the pistons 3,1luid is forcedinto the cyl-` inders by means of a suitable compressor C, operated from the engine, or otherwise, and having tluid connections or pipes 7 with each of the cylinders 2; a branch of the pipe 7 being led to the operators seat and pro: l

vided with a valve 8, whereby the operator may reduce the pressure in theA system, if de sired, when the car is in motion. rlhus, *when the vehicle is travelingl the load. is imposed on pneumatic cylinders as the piston 3 4is reacted uponby the compressed fluid.

, A particular (feature of this invention is in so constructing the cylinder thaty it not only affords a cushion chamber for fluid to vsupport the load, but its upper end is closed and forms a dash-pot 9, in which is workable the head 10 of the piston rod 11 `ot' pisl ton 3. -This dashpot is ettective as a shock absorber when there is an excessive rebound of the vehicle body, so' that by the double chambered cylinders and double ended pistons the car body is allowed a reasonable Vert-ical motion and any excess of motion up or down is gradually checked without any shock. A

The cylinder 2 (Fig. 2) is provided atits middle with a wall or diaphragm 12, having a small relief opening' 1? to-prevcnt resistance as the piston descends, and secured to the cylinder is a small oiltube 14, whereby oil may be conveyed to lubricate the piston. When the apparatus is tobe used for v heavy vehicles, I may introduce an auxiliary air-container'lf), connected at 16 to pipe 7 so that air under pressure may be forced in on top of a volume of oil orother fluid which may pass to and tro between the container and the several cylinders 2, these being connected by conduits 17. lThe pistons V3 in their respective cylinders are then effective against an 'oil cushion which is subjected to air pressure in the auxiliary pressure cham ber 15.

Suitable traps 18 are secured to the cylinders 2 to catch any oil which may possibly escape at the several joints, and it is to these traps that the lubricating oil tubes 14 may be connected. A K The apparatus allords a reliable, sensitive, shock-absorbing connection between the body and the trackl of the vehicle, and the body is not subjected, in the same degree, to the --jolts as it would be if ordinary springs were employed. v After the system is once charged by the compressor C, there is practically no loss by leakage and thepistons are all subjected to a uniform pressure which may be released at valve 8, or increased by the pump.

The dual functions of the piston as a buer for the down thrust of the load and as a recoil shock absorber entirely eliminate vstruct-ion hereinspecified maybe varied c' supported on one of said parts and a piston connected to the other of said parts, one end of the cylinder forming a daslrpot, and 'said piston. having end heads and an intermedi` ate reduced portion vto which 1 portion the vehicle body is connected, an air compressor on the vehicle connected with the cylinder to maintain' anlair pressurethercin and provide an air cushion for the piston, a manu# ally-operated reducing IValve between thecompressor and the cylinderand disposed adJaccnt the seat of the operator for 'arbitrarily reducing the pressure 1n said cylinder,anda diaphragm Aextending across the cylinder andpierced to .receive lthe reduced portion of the piston, said diaphragm having arelief opening to prevent resistance as the piston descends.

l2. The combination in a vehicle, of the `body, and an axle thereof, an air cylinder supported on one of said parts and a pistonl connected to thev other of said parts, saidv V Vitnesses:

A'piston having end heads'an'd -an intermediate reduced portion, said heads working in the cylinder, an air compressor on the vehicleconnectcdwith the cylinder to maintain an air pressure therein and provide an air cushion for the-piston, one end ofthe cylinder forming a dash-pot, and'said cylinder having a diaphragm extending across it and pierced to receive the reduced portion of the piston andhaving a relief lopening to prevent resistance as the piston descends.

v 3. The combination ina vehicle, of the body and an axle thereof, a" pair of cylin- "ders, a saddle secured to theax'le and extending right and left therefrom and forining a support for the cylinders, a piston operating in each cylinder having end heads and an intermediate-reduced portion, means connecting the reduced 'portion of the piston to the vehicle body, compressor means independent of the cylinders for storing air and having iiuid connections with the cylinders for creating and maintaining'an air pressurevtherein to support the pistons, and a -diaphragm extending across the cylinder and pierced to receive. the reduced portion. of the piston and having a relief opening to` prevent resistance as the piston descends.

- In testimony whereof Lhave hereunto set 'my handin the presence of two .subscribing \vitnesses. Y l

` LUCIEN R. GRUSS.

0.1L. .STILsoN, ELnANoR SrILsoN. 

